KFC opened its first restaurant outside the United States in Canada.
The international expansion took place in 1955, when KFC entered the Canadian market. This move came soon after the brand began formalizing its franchising system in the United States. Canada was a natural first overseas market because of its geographic proximity and strong commercial ties with America.
KFC was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders, whose fried-chicken recipe became the basis of the chain. Rather than building every restaurant itself, the company licensed operators to use its recipes, methods, branding, and name.
Canada is sometimes confused with later major KFC markets such as the United Kingdom or Japan. Those countries became important parts of the chain’s global network, but Canada was the first country outside the United States to receive a KFC restaurant.